I'd Give Anything For You
by LucidSamurai
Summary: This is an AU about how Gippal could've lost his eye IF he lost it traveling with the Crimson Squad. Warning: AU, Language, violence, GippalBaralai implications.


  
  
Bullets and sand everywhere. It wasn't quite a sandstorm but it was getting there. Squad B of the Crimson Squad was trapped between two sand dunes. To their right was Squad A. To their left was the Rebels: the gang of murderers and thieves the Crimson Squad candidates had been sent out to deal with.   
  
    "We have to get Baralai out of here!" Paine yelled over the noise of the wind.   
  
Nooj looked from the bullets flying overhead to Paine. The girl was holding the sphere camera in one hand and holding Baralai against her with the other. The pool of blood under Baralai's thigh was growing. The poor kid had been shot by the Rebels not even ten minutes into the mission. They'd all be dead by now if Squad A hadn't shown up.   
  
    "And how do you propose we get out of here?!" Nooj shouted.   
  
The wind was really starting to pick up. A bullet smacked into the sand near Gippal's head. The Al Bhed lost his temper and pulled two grenades from his carrier. He pulled the pins and tossed them up onto the Rebel's dune.   
  
    "GRENADES!!" A man's voice yelled.   
  
A violent explosion ripped through the air. Sand and burnt Shiva-knows-what rained down.   
  
    "Well that was effective." Nooj commented.   
  
    "Thanks." Gippal smirked.   
  
Squad A came running down into the valley.   
  
    "That was awesome!" One of them cried. "You fried them good!"   
  
The leader of Squad A saluted Nooj before speaking.   
  
    "Since the Rebels here have been defeated this part of your mission is complete. Now you must join with the rest of the Squads to ambush the Rebels base camp. Go to the oasis and wait there. We will join you shortly with the rest of the Squads."   
  
Nooj nodded and saluted. Squad A saluted back and ran off. The eldest member of Squad B turned to Baralai and Paine.   
  
    "I'm going to have to do it here..." He said.   
  
    "I wish they'd let us use magic. One Curaga spell and Baralai would be fine..." Paine murmured.   
  
    "Well." Nooj held one hand up. "They welded anti-magic bracelets onto our wrists. There's nothing we can do about that." The man turned to Gippal. "Gippal, hold his legs still."   
  
The blonde kneeled at his friend's feet. He leaned over and set his hands on Baralai's knees. Nooj kneeled beside Baralai, pulling a very long instrument from his carrier.   
  
    "Paine?" Nooj looked at her briefly.   
  
    "Yeah?"   
  
    "Cover his eyes. He doesn't need to see this..."   
  
Paine nodded. Baralai whimpered softly as she put one hand over his eyes. Both Gippal and Paine looked away as Nooj sterilized the equipment. The man untied the make-shift bandage from around Baralai's thigh and tossed it over his shoulder. He took a deep breath and readied himself.   
  
    "Ok Baralai. In three...two...one..."   
  
Nooj shoved the skinny instrument into Baralai's wound. The boy thrashed violently but didn't make a sound.   
  
    "It's ok. Almost there. It's not in very deep." The brunette said.   
  
    "Oww...ah..." Baralai whimpered.   
  
The end of the instrument hit something hard. Nooj pressed a button on the end of the instrument and two pinchers grabbed onto the bullet.   
  
    "Got it. Now I'm going to pull it out slowly, ok? Don't want to cause anymore damage."   
  
    "Ok..." Baralai replied, voice strained.   
  
Gippal gave his friend's knees a reassuring squeeze. Nooj's brow furrowed as he slowly started to pull the instrument from Baralai's leg. The teen twitched again. His hands were digging into the sand.   
  
    "Almost there. Relax. Breathe..." Nooj said.   
  
Baralai let out a shaky breath. The older man finally pulled the device from Baralai's leg.   
  
    "Ok. You can let him go."   
  
Gippal took his hands from Baralai's knees and sat back. Paine removed her hand from his eyes and gently stroked his sweaty hair.   
  
    "You did good kid." Nooj said, taking a vial from his carrier.   
  
Nooj opened the vial of medicinal paste and spread some onto Baralai's wound.   
  
    "This will prevent infection and encourage healing." The oldest man explained. "Gippal. Hand me a bandage. I'm all out."   
  
Gippal nodded and dug around in his carrier. He came up with a roll of gauze and handed it to Nooj. The man wrapped up Baralai's leg and secured it. Nooj stood and took a hold of Baralai's arm pulling the teen to his feet.   
  
    "How does it feel?" The leader asked.   
  
    "Sore. Really sore..." Baralai replied. "But I think I can walk."   
  
    Nooj nodded. "Ok. Let's go then. It's an all day walk to the Oasis. We should reach it by nightfall."   
  
And so they set out over the desert and under the hot sun. Paine was in the lead, walking backwards and filming the trio. Nooj came next. He was looking over their map and grumbling. Gippal was in the middle, keeping an eye out for enemies. Baralai was limping along behind trying to distract himself from the pain in his leg.   
  
----------------   
  
It was almost noon when the softest cry of pain came from Baralai.   
  
    "I can't..." The teen sobbed, falling to his knees in the sand. "I can't...my leg..."   
  
Baralai cried out as a searing hot jab of pain ran up and down his leg. Blood was starting to seep through his bandage. Nooj grabbed the boy's arm.   
  
    "Come on, Baralai. Stand up."   
  
    "I can't!"   
  
    "You have to! Now come on! Pull yourself together!"   
  
    "Stop it, Nooj!" Paine scolded. "Are you forgetting he's injured??"   
  
    "No one can carry him. You have to record, Gippal has to be lookout, and I have to read the damn map! He has to walk on his own!!"   
  
    "I'll be lookout while I carry him." Gippal said.   
  
    "Gippal. You need to be able to shoot things." Nooj replied.   
  
    "Baralai has a gun. If I see anything I'll point and Baralai can shoot it!!"   
  
The blonde crouched beside his sobbing friend. He gently rubbed one hand up and down the older teen's back.   
  
    "It's ok, Baralai. Don't cry..."   
  
    "My leg..."   
  
    "It hurts?"   
  
Baralai nodded then clenched his teeth as another jolt of pain sizzled through his nerves.   
  
    Gippal looked up at Nooj. "We should've been carrying him from the start. Walking has made the injury worse."   
  
    "No..." The teen said softly. "Don't carry me. Just give me a few minutes. I'll walk again."   
  
    The Al Bhed snorted. "Not likely Baralai. I'm carrying you."   
  
    "B-but..."   
  
Before Baralai could protest further Gippal had scooped him up.   
  
    "Aww. So cute." Paine teased.   
  
    "Hey! Don't record this!!" The blonde exclaimed, cheeks slightly red.   
  
Paine chuckled and cheerfully ignored Gippal.   
  
    "Let's keep going. We still have a long ways to go." Nooj ordered.   
  
And what a long way it was. Miles and miles of sun-baked sand dunes. Sweat dripped off the entire group in rivulets. Baralai watched as Gippal's swirled eyes scanned the desert. He moved his head a little closer to examine the color.   
  
    "Uhm? Baralai? What are you doing?"   
  
    The older teen let out an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry Gippal. I was...looking at your eyes. They're very unique."   
  
    Gippal smirked. "I have the same eyes as a million other Al Bhed and you say they're unique?"   
  
    Baralai nodded. "They're not the vibrant emerald green I've seen before. They're aquamarine-green. Like the ocean."   
  
    "Uh...thanks?"   
  
    "...You're welcome...?"   
  
--------------------   
  
The sun was just a small pink sliver on the horizon by the time Squad B reached the Oasis. The temperature was starting to drop and everyone was shivering.   
  
    "I just love the desert." Nooj grumbled. "Boiling hot in the day and fuck-me freezing at night."   
  
    "We can't make a fire. The Rebels base camp is just over those dunes. They'll see the smoke or the light and come snooping around." Paine said.   
  
    "Thank-you for stating the obvious." Nooj retorted. "We'll keep watch in shifts."   
  
    "I'll take the first shift." Baralai said.   
  
    "Baralai. You're wounded." Gippal replied.   
  
    "So? I can still call for help." The teen joked.   
  
Everyone laughed.   
  
    "Besides. You've been carrying me all day. You need rest."   
  
    "Well...okay..."   
  
The blonde gently set his friend down. Baralai checked his ammo supply and nodded.   
  
    "We'll sleep here." Nooj motioned to a cave. "Paine has second shift. Switch in two hours."   
  
Baralai nodded and watched his friends crawl into the small cave by the water. He limped quite a ways away and sat down. He sat with his back against a rock and looked up at the dunes that hid the Rebels base camp.   
  
Half an hour went by without incident. It was when it hit the hour mark that the trouble started. Baralai felt a slight twinge in his leg. He ignored it but it grew into a dull ache. The teen gently stretched his leg and that helped...but not much. It wasn't long before the ache turned into a throb.   
  
{Maybe I've been sitting too long...}   
  
Baralai went to get up but a stab of unbearable pain ran up his leg and spine. He fell onto his backside with a soft cry, hitting his back sharply against the rock. The teen tried to cry for help but his voice betrayed him. Black haze started to form before his eyes.   
  
{No! I can't pass out!!}   
  
Baralai tried to struggle to his feet again. Another sharp pain. Then total blackness.   
  
The teen jolted awake to a hand clamped firmly over his mouth. Baralai shivered. The sun was starting to rise and he found himself staring up at a stranger.   
  
    "Well now. What do we have here?" The man scowled. "An Al Bhed sympathizer?"   
  
    "Must be. He's on this damned island ain't he?" Another man replied.   
  
Baralai tried to struggle as two other men came into his line of vision. The boy frowned. One of the men was a blindfolded Al Bhed.   
  
    "I think he's curious about you, Liam." The man holding Baralai down laughed.   
  
    Liam, the blindfolded Al Bhed, walked closer. "I'm ashamed to have been born Al Bhed. But...I'm not really Al Bhed anymore..."   
  
Baralai's stomach turned as Liam lifted his blindfold up revealing two gaping holes where his eyes used to be. The teen managed to free his good leg and he kicked Liam in the groin. The man groaned and doubled over. Baralai kneed the man holding him down in the back of the head. Now free the boy struggled to his feet. He screamed in pain as man #2 grabbed onto his leg, thumb digging against his bullet wound.   
  
Gippal, Nooj, and Paine were startled awake by Baralai's screams.   
  
    "Baralai!" Gippal cried.   
  
    "Wait!" Nooj grabbed onto Gippal's wrist. "Listen!"   
  
    "You're coming with us punk!" A foreign male voice shouted.   
  
    "We can't go rushing out there. We don't know how many there are."   
  
    "But Baralai...!"   
  
    "We'll have to let him get captured and save him during the raid."   
  
    "Nooj. No..." Paine protested. "You've seen what they do to people. We can't let them take Baralai!"   
  
    "That's it. I'm going to get him!!"   
  
Gippal grabbed his rifle and started crawling out of the cave. Nooj grabbed onto his ankle.   
  
    "Don't be an idiot!"   
  
    "Vilg oui." Gippal kicked Nooj off and exited the cave.   
  
He ran towards the sound of Baralai fighting off his attackers. And by the sounds of it he was giving them a run for their money.   
  
    "C'mere you little bitch!!" The not-an-Al Bhed-anymore man growled.   
  
Baralai punched Liam in the face and ducked under the arms of another attacker. A shot rang out and the man who'd pinned Baralai fell to the sand.   
  
    "Al Bhed!!" Liam cried.   
  
Suddenly the two Rebels had no interest in Baralai and they went after Gippal. Liam grabbed Baralai's rifle and aimed it at Gippal.   
  
    "No!" Baralai cried, jumping on Liam's back.   
  
Gippal shot the second man and he crumpled to the ground. Liam finally shook Baralai off and hit the teen in the head with the butt of the rifle. The silver-haired teen cried out in pain and fell to the sand, out cold. Gippal and Liam aimed. Two shots rang out. Liam winced as the bullet grazed his arm. Gippal fell forward into the sand, unconscious from the shock of being shot in the shoulder. Without any trouble Liam walked over to the blonde, grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, and dragged him off.   
  
-----------------   
  
Baralai's eyes snapped open.   
  
    "Gippal!" He cried.   
  
    "Shhh. Lay still..." Paine soothed.   
  
The teen sat up slightly and looked around. He and Paine were by the water. Nooj was standing on a tall rock formation looking out at the desert through his binoculars.   
  
    "W-what happened? Where's Gippal??"   
  
    "They dragged him off."   
  
    "What!? We have to go after him!"   
  
    "We can't." Nooj replied, climbing down. "Let's see here. One unarmed, one wounded, and one who's already a gimp versus fifty well armed healthy men. Yeah. That doesn't sound like suicide..."   
  
    "They have Gippal...because of me."   
  
    "You're right."   
  
    "Nooj!" Paine scolded.   
  
    "What? He fell asleep at his post."   
  
    "I didn't fall asleep! I passed out because my leg hurt!"   
  
    "Yet another thing that shouldn't have happened..."   
  
    Baralai struggled to his feet. "And just what does that mean!?"   
  
    "You made a stupid decision and got shot. That's what I mean..."   
  
    The teen's hands clenched into fists. "They were going to shoot Paine!! What was I supposed to do!? Let them shoot her?"   
  
    "YES! Yes!! Yes!! She's a RECORDER not a Crimson Squad candidate. If she'd been shot things would've been a lot easier! Then we'd have three armed and healthy fighters!! This is not 'save the Maester from being assassinated'! This is WAR!"   
  
Paine gasped as Baralai's fist shot out, hitting Nooj in the mouth. The man cried out in surprise and stumbled backwards.   
  
    "I know this is a war but I will still take a bullet for my friends. Even you. If it had been you they aimed their guns at I would've jumped in front of you too."   
  
    Nooj rubbed his sore jaw. "You're an idiot."   
  
    "Thank-you."   
  
    The brunette grumbled and shook his head. "You're an idiot...but a good friend. I'm sorry..."   
  
    "Apology accepted. I will blame your outbursts on being cranky from being in the hot sun too long."   
  
Nooj grumbled but the corner of his mouth twitched in a pathetic smile. Paine stood and turned her sphere camera on.   
  
    "I have to interrupt but Squad A and the others are heading this way." She said.   
  
Gippal struggled against his bonds. A woman smiled down at him.   
  
    "Don't worry. Soon you'll be one of us..." She turned and picked up a rather sharp instrument.   
  
The blonde struggled more. He was scared but relieved that at least Baralai hadn't been captured.   
  
As soon as Squads A-N reached the Oasis Baralai was limping up the sand dune with his rifle in hand. Paine and the other recorders followed their Squads. The ambush went well. The Rebels never saw it coming.   
  
The woman ignored the sound of gunfire and screaming. Gippal tried to scream but they'd gagged him tightly.   
  
    "Hold still!" She hissed. "It'll only hurt more if you struggle!!"   
  
Baralai moved from tent to tent, searching for Gippal. He found lots of prisoners, but no Gippal. He escorted the prisoners to safety before continuing his search.   
  
    "Gippal!" He cried. "Gippal!!"   
  
    "Gippal!!"   
  
The blonde's heart skipped a beat. {Baralai!!}   
  
The tent flap burst open and Baralai ran in. The teen's eyes widened and his dark skin actually seemed to pale.   
  
Baralai couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. Gippal strapped down to a cot while some creepy lady gouged his eye out with a scalpel. The woman dropped the scalpel and stood up. With a cry of anguish Baralai pulled the trigger. The bullet ripped through the woman's heart and she fell to the ground.   
  
    "Gippal!"   
  
The older teen dropped his gun and limped to Gippal's side. His stomach turned. Blood was running down the right side of his friend's face. The blonde's eye was lying on a tray beside the cot.   
  
    "Oh...Gippal..."   
  
Baralai fell to his knees. He removed the gag from Gippal's mouth.   
  
    "Don't even think about blaming yourself, Baralai." The blonde said. "This was not your fault in any way, shape, or form."   
  
The older teen bit back his tears and he got some gauze out of his carrier. He made a make-shift eyepatch and gently fit it over Gippal's gaping wound. He untied the blonde and wrapped his shoulder up too. With Baralai's help the Al Bhed slowly sat up.   
  
    "Does it hurt?" Baralai asked.   
  
    "No. Everything's numbed out now." Gippal replied.   
  
    "Gippal...I..."   
  
    "It's not your fault, Baralai. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change anything. I would still save you."   
  
The older teen wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and stood, helping his friend to his feet.   
  
    "I have to get you to safety..." Baralai said.   
  
    "Ok." Gippal nodded.   
  
    "Gippal?"   
  
    "Yeah?"   
  
    Baralai turned and wrapped the Al Bhed up in a snug embrace. "Thank-you for saving me..."   
  
    Gippal smiled and hugged back. "You're welcome...my friend."   
  
_Tada! And if you want to know how a blind guy can shoot...well...sight isn't the only sense. That's all I'm saying. Yah gotta figure it out for yourself. As for the eye gouging...I've been watching Once Upon a Time in Mexico way too much. That's what inspired this ficlet. Sad, I know... XD_


End file.
